Slip stitching machine



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Patented Oct. 8, 1946 SLIP STITCHING MACHINE Carl WV. Johnson, Brooklyn, and Joseph A. Neumair, Hollis, N. Y., assgnors to American Ma.- chine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application February 17, 1943, Serial No. 476,164

(Cl. 11,2--174l Claims.

This invention relates to necktie sewing machines, more particularly to machines Vof the type wherein the associated necktie fabric and lining are pleated and then stitched together by a long needle to pass therethrough a thread whose ends are knotted to unite the necktie parts by a resilient slip stitch. In Patent No. 2,383,654 granted on our prior application, Serial No, 428,684, filed January 29, 1942, of which this application constitutes a continuation-impart, there were provided a set of crimpers having rigid teeth interengaging with each other to form a series oi pleats in the associated necktie fabric and lining, through which a needle was passed to stitch the saine together. It was found that with necktie materials of more or less resilient construction. that when the parts were stitched together, and then turned to form the finished necktie, that the appearance thereof would be imperfect, because in the pleating operation the materials were stretched unduly. In the case of the nonresilient necktie materials, they might even be torn during the pleating operation.` With these disadvantages in mind, it is an object of our invention to provide spaced expansible members which interengage with each other upon the associated necktie fabric and lining and are then contracted or collapsed to pleat the necktie parts, so that the same may be stitched together with an elongated needle. In this manner, the mutilation and the distortion of the necktie materials referred to would be avoided.

Still another object of the invention is to provide mechanism for automatically folding the necktie fabric with its edges into overlapping relationship after the lining and fabric have been manually positioned in outspread relationship between the pleating members.

' Another object is to provide a novel construction of the crimpers wherein the members engaging the associated necktie material and lining are yieldingly held apart and are contracted by automatic mechanism. According to still another object of the invention, additional crimpers are provided having interengaging teeth which form a series of pleats in the leading end of the lining, which are smaller than the pleats formed in the associated portions of the fabric and lining, whereby the stitches formed in the leading end of the lining will be shorter than the stitches uniting the fabric and lining.

With these and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts:

Figs. 1 and 2 are outline drawings showing re- 2 spectively a plan view and side elevation of -a machine exemplifying the invention;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the machine showing the pleating members on the die head interengaged with the lower pleating members, together with the mechanism for displacing both sets of pleating members into their collapsed positions wherein they pleat the folded fabric and associated necktie lining just before the needle stitches the same together;

Fig. 4 is a similar fragmentary view of the pleating members showing the same in their exbanded positions, the die head being depressed suniciently to permit the holding springs on its pleating members to clamp the fabric and lining to the lower pleating members;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the stationary and expansible pleating members interengaged upon a folded fabric and lining together with the mechanism for operating the needle;

Fig. 5a is a cross-section on Fig. 5;

Fig. 6 is a sectional end elevation, taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 7-10 are schematic views illustrating successive stages in the positioning of the lining and necktie fabric and the folding of the latter;

Fig. 1l is a fragmentary sectional view showing the needle stitching together the lining and fabric while the same are held in pleated condition by the pleating members; and

Fig. 12 is a detail sectional view of the reversing mechanism taken on the line I2-l2 of Fig. 2.

The construction of the machine selected to exemplify the invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 1-6 of the drawings. The pedestal 200, which is suitably supported in a manner, not shown. from frame 322 (Fig. 6) supports a bracket 202. and a similar bracket 264 is supported in the ends of the frame 322. The bracket 202 has a pair of slide-ways 2GB formed in its inner face and extending longitudinally thereof, and the bracket 204 is similarly provided with a pair of slide-ways 208 aligned with slideways 20B. A series of crimper bars or pleating members 2l@ are each provided with a pair of transverse bores into which are tted the extensions 2li projecting inwardly from alternate pintles of the sprocket chains 22B which may be of a standard type. The remaining pintles of the sprocket chains 229 are each provided with outwardly projecting extensions `,carrying rollers 224 supported in the slide-ways 226 and 208. One end of a compression spring 226 is seated against the lower stationary crimper 228 (Fig. 5) and extends through axial holes 23B in the crimpers 2in and is seated in a socket 232 in the outermost crimper Zilla (Fig. 3), each of the crimpers ZID being provided with pins 235 exthe line 5ft- 5a of 3 tending transversely through their holes 230 and between adjacent coils of the spring 226, whereby the crimpers 210 and 210a are normally maintained in the separated or expanded positions shown in Fig. 4.

The upper crimpers 240 are similarly supported on extensions 242 of alternate pintles of the sprocket chains 244 which extend inwardly into the transverse bores 246 of the crimpers 240 (see Fig. 6). The remaining pintles of the sprocket chains 244 have outwardly extending projections 248 which carry rollers 250 supported in the slideways 252 of the crimper head 256. Several pairs of the crimpers 240 are connected by coiled springs 251 which clamp the outspread lining and folded fabric positioned on the crimpers 210 against the latter during the descent of the crimper head 256, as shown in Fig. 4, and hold them in position while both sets of crimpers are collapsed, as hereinafter described, to pleat the tie materials.

The crimpers 240 and the outermost crimper 241m are normally spread apart by a compression spring 260 similar to the spring 226 and similarly seated at one end in a socket 232a of crimper 24041, and similarly passing through axial bores of the crimpers 240 and seated at its other end against the crimper head. Each of the crimpers 240 is provided with a pin 236a extending through its axial bore and engaging adjacent coils of spring 260, whereby these crimpers are spread apart.

The crimper head 256 is provided with an integral crimper 262 having a series of teeth adapted to interengagewith the teeth of the stationary crimper 228 and form a series of narrow pleats in the leading end of an outspread lining L positioned manually on crimper 228. The crimper head 256 is also provided with an integral crimper 264 spaced sufficiently from the crimper 262 to permit manual insertion therebetween of the leading end of the necktie fabric F, after the same has been superposed on the lining L and folded transversely to lap its longitudinal edges on each other.

The crimper head 256 is provided with integral arms 210 mounted on shafts 212 supported in baering lugs 214 of the pedestal 200. One of the arms is provided with a hooked extension 216 (Fig. 2) carrying a camroller 218, which is held by a tension spring (Fig. 6) against the periphery of a. cam 280 supported on a cam shaft 282 mounted in bearing lugs 284 (Fig. 6) of pedestal 200. The periphery of cam 280 has the proper shape to permit the crimper head to be lowered into the position shown in Fig. 4 to thereby interengage the crimpers 262 and 264 with the crimpers 210 and 228, at the proper time following the folding of the fabric superposed upon the lining positioned upon the crimpers 2 I 0, 2 I 8a and 228. Then the crimpers 210 and ZIGa'and 240 and 246e are simultaneously displaced longitudinally and laterally into the positions shown in Fig. 3 when the spacing thereof is decreased by mechanism hereinafter described. y

Fingers 300 are pivotally mounted on stub shafts 302 supported by brackets fastened to the top of the pedestal 200 and are normally maintained in a horizontal position by compression springs 303 (Fig. 6) interposed between the fingers 300 and pedestal 200. The vertical faces of the free ends of fingers 300 serve as gauges against which one longitudinal edge of the lining L may be positioned when it is spread. upon the crimpers 210, 21nd and 228, as shown in Fg- ',7-

The forward edge 305 of the folder template 304, has a configuration corresponding to the longitudinal curvature of the fold line along which the fabric F should be folded to overlap its longitudina1 edges as illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, and the template 304 is advanced forwardly as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 8 to the position shown in Fig. 9. The folder template 304 is provided with sight holes to view the necktie materials and supported by a block 306 and rollers 301 carried by the shafts 302 (Fig. 6) Block 306 is provided with a lug connected by a link 308 to a cam lever 310 mounted on a fulcrum shaft 312 supported in a bearing lug 314 of the frame pedestal 200. Cam lever 310 has a cam roller 316 engaging thc periphery of plate cam 318 fastened on shaft 282. A tension spring (Fig. 6) connected to lever 310 holds cam roller 316 against cam 318, and the latter has the proper configuration to advance the block 306 forwardly with the folder template 304 into the position shown in Fig. 9.

A table 320 supported by frame 322 has an opening 324 provided with grooves in its lateral sides wherein are slidably mountedthe tongues of a strip 326 secured to the bottom of a folder plate 328 resting on the table 320. The plate 328 may be equipped with gauge pieces 330 similar to the members 31 shown in Figs. 4-6 of our copending application, S. N. 428,684, filed January 29, 1942, on which Patent No. 2,383,654 was granted, and similarly adjustable on the folder plate 328. One longitudinal edge of the necktie fabric F is positioned against the pieces 330 and spread laterally, as shown in Fig. 8, over the plate 328 and the table 320 into a position overlapping the lining L previously positioned on crimpers 210.

The centrally arranged lug on strip 326 is connected by a link 340 to a cam lever 342 having a cam roller 344 held against the periphery of a disk cam 346 mounted on shaft 282 by a tension spring connected to lever 342, whereby the folder plate 328 is advanced to fold the outspread fabric F over the edge 305 of the template 304, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. When the template 364 is advanced it slides over the tips of the fingers 300 and is thereby lifted into the upwardly inclined position shown in Fig. 8, until enough of its weight is imposed upon fingers 300 to depress the same sufficiently to permit the template to move into the position shown in Fig. 9. After the template 384 and the plate 328 are retracted the crimper head 256 is lowered to cause the crimpers 240, 262, 264, to clamp the lapped edges of the fabric against the lining positioned on the crimpers 210, 210e and 228.

A bracket 350 is provided with lugs 352 and 354 which are arranged to engage the outermost crimpers 240a and 21011 while the crimper head 256 is lowering the crimpers 240, 240a into the positions shown in Fig. 3 and thereby press the crimpers 240, 249a and 210, 210a together into the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 5 against the resistance of the springs 226 and 260. While the crimpers are being pressed together the pintle extensions 242 supporting crimpers 240, 240a are moved downwardly and the pintle extensions 214 are moved upwardly to move the crimpers into engagement with each other.

Thus there are formed a series of transverse pleats in the lining L and the lapped edges of the fabric F superimposed thereon. For this purpose the bracket 350 is fastened to a rack bar 356 supported in bearings 358 of the pedestal 200 and provided with rack teeth 360 on its bottom. A

gear segment 352 carried by a cam lever 363 mounted on a stub shaft 354 supported by pedestal 208 meshes with the rack teeth 388. Cam lever 353 carries a cam roller 365 engaging with a cam track formed in a barrel cam 368 supported on cam shaft 282, whereby the bracket 35D is operated at the proper time to collapse the criinpers and thereby pleat the fabric and lining.

A needle 380 is attached at its butt end to the upper run of a sprocket chain 382 running over sprockets 384 and 385 mounted on shafts 388 and 39)V supported in a bracket 392. The latter is equipped with strips 451i and 482 respectively, overlying and underlying the upper run of sprocket chain 382, the bar 45B having a slot in` its bottom wherein the needle 384 is guided as it is advanced through the needle guide 454, which may vbe formed on bracket 352, and through the pleated necktie fabric and lining to stitch the same together. The construction cf the bracket 382 and the mechanism for operating and guiding the needle is similar to that shown in our above mentioned application.

The thread T is drawn from a spool S mounted on a holder H and passed through a thread guide G similar to guide 45 shown in Fig. 1 of said application and threaded through the eye of needle 38'. The free end of the thread after being removed from the eye of the needle may be grasped by the operator after the point of the needle is advanced through and beyond the crimpers 2 l 8a and 2450i. The operator then holds the free end of the thread while the needle is retracted to initial position.

, It will be noted that the pleats formed by the crimpers 228 and 282 are somewhat smaller than those produced by the crimpers 2|!) and 245, whereby the stitches formed in the leading end of the lining L will be shorter than those uniting the lining and fabric. However, the pleat formed between the crimper 264, the adjoining tooth of crimper 228, and the adjoining crimper 2 if) will be common to both the lining and fabric, because both the lining and fabric are positioned between the interengaged faces thereof. ever, since the face of the crimper 254 engaging the outer face of the adjoining tooth of crimper 228 is narrower than the other face of crimper 254, the pleat so formed will be smaller than the pleats formed by crimpers 213 and 240, and a single small stitch will be produced, uniting the fabric and 'lining ahead of the following longer stitches. As shown in Figs. 6 and 1l, the crimpers 2li) and 245 are provided with slots on their interengaging faces through which the needle passes, and the other crimpers are also provided with similar slots for the same purpose.

On the shaft 388 is fastened a sprocket which is driven by a sprocket chain 428 from a sprocket 422 mounted on shaft 424 (Fig. 2). supported in frame 322 and carries a friction wheel 426. The wheel 425 is driven by a cone pulley 421 supported by a shaft 428 carried by an arrn 429. The arm 429 is pivoted on a pedestal 43s supported on the base of frame 322 and is connected by a link 432 passing through an aperture in the front of frame 322 to a handle 434 pivoted on a lug 435 provided on the front cf frame 322. The shaft 428 carries a pulley 448 which is driven by an endless belt 442 from a, '."L:

pulley on the drive shaft of the motor-driven gear reduction unit M, the belt being guided over idler pulleys 444. By swinging the handle 434, the cone pulley may be engaged with the interior of one ange of the wheel 425, to drive the 75 How- Shaft 424 is sprocketV chain 382 forwardly to advance the needle through the pleated necktie parts, and then engaged with other ange of wheel 425 to drive the sprocket chain 382 in the opposite direction. to withdraw the needle from the stitched necktie materials. On the shaft 454 supported in bearings of frame 322 is loosely mounted the driving member 455 of a one-revolution clutch., this member carrying a sprocket which is driven by a sprocket chain 458 from a sprocket on the drive shaft of the gear reduction unit M.

The driving member 455 carries a connecting member 465. which is movable axially thereof into engagement with a driven clutch member (not shown) which is fastened to the shaft 454. A spring (not shown) urges the member 460 into engagement with a recess in the driven clutch member whereby the helical gear 412 fastened on shaft 45.4 drives the helical gear 413 on the cam shaft 282. The ratio of the helical gears 412 and 413 is 1 to 2, so that when the shaft 454 is turned one revolution, the shaft 282 is turned a half revolution. The member 458 has a transverse groove which is aligned with a circumferential groove in the member 455. A latch 482, which .has a concave face engaging the base of said groove and a wedge-shaped tip adapted to enter the transverse groove in member 460, thereby withdraws the latter from engagement with the driven clutch member. The latch 452 is fulcrumed on the pedestal 228 and is connected by a link 454 to an arm 455 fastened on a shaft 459r supported in bearings of the frame 322. On the arm 46E is pivotally mounted a block 415 in which the lower end of the link 454 is slidably mounted, the extreme lower end of link 4.54 being provided with a stop nut 411. The shaft 459 projects forwardly from the front of frame 322 and on its projecting portion is mounted a pedal 485. When the pedal 4B!! is depressed by the attendant, the latch 452 is disengaged from the transverse groove of the connecting member 4.55, permitting the latter to engage and drive the driven clutch member, whereby the shaft 454 will be rotated one revolution until the latch 452 reengages in the transverse groove of the connecting member 4523 and withdraws the latter from engagement with the driven clutch member and thereby stops the cam shaft 282 in the position shown in Fig. 3.

After the member S has been displaced inwardly during the half revolution of shaft 252 just described, to contact the crimpers during the interengagement thereof upon the outspread lining and the fabric previously folded by the coaction of plates 584 and 328, to pleat these necktie parts, the latch 462 reengages the transverse groove of member 458 and withdraws the l latter frein the driven clutch member and thereby stops the rctati'on of shaft 282 and maintains the member in its inward position. The handle 434 is then displaced in one direction to bring cone pulley 421 into engagement with wheel 425, to advance the needle through the pleated necktie parts, until it projects beyond the crimpers 2Min and 248e. The free end of the thread is held by the attendant while she swings the handle 434 in the opposite direction to engage the pulley 421 with the ether flange of wheel 426 and thereby retract the needle to initial position. The attendant then again steps on the pedal 485 and the shaft 2%2 is driven another half revolution until the latch 462 reengages with the trans-- verse groove of member 465 and stops the rota'- tion of shaft 282, the crimper head 258 being thus lifted and the pusher 350 returned to its outward position to permit the pleating members to be expanded by respective springs 22B-and 260. The pleated fabric and lining are then spread out on the thread T and the thread is then severedV and its ends are knotted, the severed length of thread being sufficient to provide a resilient slip stitch uniting the lining and fabric. Upon removal of the stitched necktie parts from the machine, they are turned inside out to form the finished necktie. When the stitched lining and fabric are removed, a new lining and fabric may be positioned for folding of the fabric and stitching of the latter to the lining in the manner just described.

It may be noted that the springs 251 serve to prevent slippage of the portions of the fabric and lining between the pleating members 2| 0 and 240 as they interengage, which might occur if such springs were not provided. It may be preferable to have the springs 251 more closely arranged upon the plating mmbers adjacent the pusher 352.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for making neckties, a row of spaced elements upon which a. lining may be positioned with its length extending transversely thereof, and a folded necktie fabric having its longitudinal edges lapped upon each other may be positioned with its lapped edges extending along a longitudinal axis of said lining, a series of spaced members adapted to be engaged with the portions of said positioned necktie parts extending between said elements, springs connected to said elements and members and thereby maintaining them in spaced relation, means for moving said members to engage said members with and thereby flex the portions of said necktie parts intermediate said elements, and mechanism for moving said elements and members transversely toward each other to decrease the spacing thereof and thereby pleat the lining and fabric for stitching of the same together by a needle.

2. In a sewing machine, the combination with a set of spaced vertical crimper members having teeth on their upper ends, of a pair of primary sprocket chains each having pintles connected to each of said crimper members whereby said members are supported on said primary chains for movement transversely toward and away from each other, means for expanding said primary chains to maintain said members in spaced relationship, the upper ends of said members being aligned with each other and adapted to support an outspread necktie lining and a folded necktie fabric, a set of spaced vertical crimper elements having teeth on their lower ends, a pair of secondary sprocket chains each having pintles connected to each of said elements whereby said elements are supported on said secondary chains for movement toward and away from each other, a head on which said secondary chains are supported, devices on said head for expanding said secondary chains to maintain said elements in spaced relationship, said head being movable to interengage said elements with said members, and means for simultaneously contracting said primary and secondary chains and thereby moving said elements and members transversely toward each other to decrease their spacing while said members and elements are being interengaged whereby said lining and fabric are pleated for stitching of the same by an elongated needle.

3. In a machine for making neckties, a row of spaced elements having triangular teeth upon which a lining may be positioned with its length extending transversely thereof, and a folded necktie fabric having its longitudinal edges lapped upon each other may be positioned with its lapped edges extending along -a longitudinal axis of said lining, a series of spaced members having triangular teeth adapted to be engaged with the portions of said positioned necktie parts extending between the teeth of said elements, means for maintaining said elements and members in spaced relation, means for moving said members to engage said teeth of said members with and thereby flex the portions of said necktie parts intermediate said elements, and mechanism for moving said elements and members transversely toward each other simultaneously with the engagement of the teeth of said members with said necktie parts, to decrease the spacing cf said elements and members while the necktie parts are being flexed by said members and elements and thereby pleat the lining and fabric for stitching of the same together by a needle, an elongated needle adapted to be passed through the pleats of the fabric and lining heldy between said elements and members, and mechanism for operating said needle while the fabric and lining are held in pleated condition by said crimpers and elements for stitching the lining and fabric together.

4. In a machine for making neckties, a row of spaced elements upon which a lining may be positioned with its length extending transversely thereof, and e, folded necktie fabric having its longitudinal edges lapped upon each other may be positioned with its lapped edges extending along a longitudinal axis of said lining, of yielding devices for clamping the positioned fabric and lining against said elements, a series of spaced members adapted to be engaged with the portions of said positioned necktie parts extending between said elements, means for moving said devices and members to engage said devices with said necktie parts to cause said devices to clamp spaced portions thereof against said elements and then engage said members with and thereby ex the portions of said necktie parts intermediate said elements, and mechanism for moving said elements and members transversely toward each other to decrease the spacing thereof and thereby pleat the lining and fabric for stitching of the same together by a needle, said. devices being supported by said members.

' 5. In a, crimping device for necktie stitching machines, the combination with opposed rows of equally spaced relatively movable crimper teeth, the tips of the crimper teeth of one row being staggered with respect to those of the other row and suiiciently spaced therefrom to admit therebetween an outspread necktie fabric, and means for simultaneously and uniformly decreasing the spacing of the teeth of each of said rows to avoid stretching of the necktie fabric as the teeth of the opposite rows are brought together to crimp said fabric, said means including a linkage connecting the teeth in each one of said rows, mechanism for exerting pressure endwise of said rows on said linkages to collapse the same, and devices for moving the teeth of one row toward the teeth in the other row during said collapsing operation.

CARL W. JOHNSON. JOSEPH A. NEUMAIR. 

